The years leading up to the second siege of Louisbourg were some of the most tumultuous and uncertain that the island of Cape Breton had ever seen. Despite the apprehension, however, people living on the island were making plans for their future. In the 1750s, the French Governor, the Count de Raymond, ordered three roads … Continue reading Falling Through the Cracks: An 18th Century Acadian Village on the Bras d’Or Lakes?
The Lost Settlements of Cape Breton Island
Remarkable Stories From the Lost Settlements of 18th Century Cape Breton
Figure 1.1 - "A plan of the island of Cape Britain reduced from the large survey made by the orders and instructions of the right honorable the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations" by Samuel Holland, April 1767. To view a larger version, click here. The settlements of St. Esprit, Allemands, Rouillé and Espagnole no … Continue reading Remarkable Stories From the Lost Settlements of 18th Century Cape Breton
The Lost Settlements of 19th Century Cape Breton – the Old French Road, Clarke’s Road and Pollett’s Cove
Figure 1.1 - Cape Breton Island in 1831. By this time, Scottish immigration has been ongoing for more than two decades, and the island's communities and the roads that link them begin to look familiar to the modern eye. For the full size image from Archives Nova Scotia, click here. Drawn by John L. Johnston. … Continue reading The Lost Settlements of 19th Century Cape Breton – the Old French Road, Clarke’s Road and Pollett’s Cove
The Lost Settlements of 18th Century Cape Breton – St. Esprit, Allemands, Rouillé and Espagnole
Figure 1.1 - Map of Isle Royale, 1749 by Robert de Vaugondy. This map of Cape Breton Island is recognizable to us today, but a closer look helps us to appreciate just how different Île Royale was from the Cape Breton Island that emerged during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Certain French place … Continue reading The Lost Settlements of 18th Century Cape Breton – St. Esprit, Allemands, Rouillé and Espagnole
What’s Left of the French Presence on Cape Breton Island Today?
LAST UPDATED NOVEMBER 22, 2025 As a general rule of thumb, once the earth has been formed or shaped by people, it keeps that shape for a very, very long time. An example of this can be seen at Fort Ticonderoga (Carillon), where the trenches dug by French soldiers during the Seven Years War are … Continue reading What’s Left of the French Presence on Cape Breton Island Today?
“An Inland Scout”: John Montresor’s Trek into 18th Century Cape Breton
Fort Duquesne. Quebec. Fort Detroit. Lexington. Bunker Hill. Brooklyn. Brandywine and Germantown. In a time when people generally didn't travel more than thirty miles from their homes, John Montresor, an engineer in the British Army and later Chief Engineer in America during the American War of Independence, saw more of the North American continent than … Continue reading “An Inland Scout”: John Montresor’s Trek into 18th Century Cape Breton
The Lost World of Cape Breton Island 